Final Call III: The Final Generation
by Tooner
Summary: Twenty years have passed since the events of the Galbadian Rise to power, and subsequent fall. Now, a new, great threat looms, and no one is aware. The end is coming, be prepared.
1. Since Then

((Hello everyone! Welcome to the third installment in the Final Call series. This one takes place twenty years after Final Call II, so prepare for a new bunch of characters, and a whole lot more fun. The usual disclaimer: I do not own any of the original Final Fantasy VIII material. The following are my original characters: Miles Animus, Peter Animus, Neos Leonheart, Jasmine Animus, Julia Leonheart, Lee Reist, Veronica Reist, Alex Reist, Lance Derikson))  
  
Chapter One: Since Then  
  
"Pull."  
Peter Animus raised his revolver up and gripped it solidly with both hands. The first small disk flew into the air, and he fired off a shot. It hit dead on target, and the second and third discs flew up from the ground. He took quick aim, and shot at each. Another disk, another hit. The process continued for five minutes, until finally he yelled for them to stop.  
Peter holstered the gun, and turned to a very impressed Neos Leonheart. At twenty-seven, Neos was Peter's senior by seven years, and stood a good two inches taller with an impressive 6'1" height. Peter grinned and exited the training room with Neos.  
The small attachment to the Training Center had been placed in ten years ago, to compensate for the lack of real target practice for gun users. They exited into the halls of Balamb Garden, where students rushed to their next class, or for a personal rendezvous. Garden was currently landed in the Alcaud plains near Balamb, for a fresh arrival of students and supplies.  
A lot had changed in 20 years, yet much was still the same. Squall had retired from his position, and moved to Winhill with his wife, Rinoa. They were in their mid-fifties now, and Rinoa still didn't look a day over thirty. Irvine and Selphie had moved away fifteen years ago, and lived in Balamb now. Quistis still worked in Garden, now mainly doing paperwork. Zell, meanwhile, had moved back into Balamb to care for his aging parents ten years ago. They passed away, but he remained behind. Peter's parents, Miles and Jasmine, were in their mid forties now. Miles was in command of Garden, while Jasmine stuck with her instructor position. Lee Reist served as the head of SeeD's strategic elements. His wife, Veronica, was now one of the more dependable SeeD members. Their child, Alex, was one of Peter's good friends for a while. He had left Garden about a year ago, and no one had heard from him since. The other Leonheart child, Julia, was 18 now, and had recently become a SeeD. Laguna was long dead, but still hailed as one of Esthar's great leaders.  
Neos extended a hand to Peter, "That was some great shooting, Pete."  
Peter smiled, "Thanks, it really wasn't much."  
"Bull. You didn't miss a target."  
"Well…"  
"Don't be modest Pete, it doesn't suit you, or your family."  
Peter grinned, "I'm going to the cafeteria."  
Neos shrugged, "Have fun."  
  
***  
  
"So why don't we use GFs anymore?"  
Jasmine sighed at the student's question. Inevitably, every year, she covered the topic of GFs in her class, and inevitably, every year, someone asked that same question. People were just eager for power. Lots of it. Fast.  
"The junction of Guardian Force DOES increase our power, and allows us to use abilities that we wouldn't normally be able to use. However, the junction of Guardian Force also forces us to use a portion of our mind. The part it uses, however, is a piece of our memory. Effectively, Guardian Force use wipes out our memory."  
"How do we know this?"  
"During the Second Sorceress War, Squall Leonheart and his team learned this lesson the hard way. They all have very few memories of their life before Garden, and until they stopped Junctioning, they continued to lose their memories."  
"Isn't there a way we can use a GF without losing our memory?"  
She sighed again, "A lot of research was done about this, and no conclusive, surefire plan was formed. That is why Squall implemented the GF ban on Garden. As long as you are here, you will not use a GF. The price is not worth it."  
One of the students, an obnoxious little brat who seemed to think it his personal responsibility to annoy the hell out of everyone, spoke up, "Why do we listen to that old fart anyway? His time is past! We're in a different world now!"  
Jasmine glared at him, "Thanks to Squall Leonheart, we are in a very different world. A safer world. He and his group saved the world, have you forgotten? The fall of Galbadia can be traced back to their efforts. The second fall of Galbadia can be traced back to their efforts once again. We wouldn't even exist if it weren't for them."  
Another voice interrupted, "Plus, he could whoop you pretty bad even at 54."  
Jasmine turned to the doorway where her husband, Miles, was standing.  
"Believe me kid, I know."  
The bell rang, and the class quickly filed out. Miles turned to Jasmine, "Little jackass give you trouble?"  
"Nothing I couldn't handle."  
"Obviously. Hey, I was gonna take a car and go visit Zell, you got any classes?"  
"No, that was it for today."  
"Great, you wanna come?"  
She smiled, remembering the past twenty-seven years of adventure, "Sure. Meet you there in ten minutes?"  
He grinned and gave her a kiss, "Nothing sounds better."  
  
***  
  
As promised, she arrived in ten minutes. Miles was already set to go, and she hopped into the passenger side of the Garden car. Miles put the key in the ignition, and began to turn it, and then he remembered something.  
"Oh damn, I'll be right back."  
He opened up the door and stepped out the car. Jasmine gazed at him, "Where are you going?"  
He flashed a smile, "I gotta get a gift I left in my room."  
She rolled her eyes and moved into the driver's seat, "I'll drive then!"  
He shrugged, "I'll be right back. I love you!"  
She smiled, "I know!"  
Then she turned the key in the ignition.  
Everything brightened up. Miles was shoved up against the wall by the shockwave of the blast, and he felt a few ribs break. The sound came a split second later, a deafening blast that shook the room. Miles struggled and opened his eyes, slowly turning himself around to look at Jasmine. The car was gone, totally destroyed. Tires had blown off, and shards of metal were now everywhere. It was nothing but a flaming wreck.  
He let his eyes close, and faded off into unconsciousness.  



	2. Truths

Chapter Two: Truths  
  
Jasmine crouched down and smiled at Peter, "C'mon Pete! You can do it!"  
The child stared blankly at his mother, a bit of drool on his chin. Miles stood behind Jasmine, video camera on and recording every moment for prestige. Jasmine continued to motion and encourage the child. Slowly, unsteadily, the boy pushed himself up, and stood on his legs, a cute grin on his face. Jasmine choked with pride, but continue to encourage him. Peter slowly moved his right leg up, then pushed it forward, and landed it back on the ground. He repeated the process with his left, then with his right again.  
His first steps.  
  
***  
  
Miles jolted upright in the infirmary bed, startling the man sitting next to him. Miles panted for a moment, struggling to figure out where he was, then he looked to his right, where his son, Peter, was sitting, a far cry from the child in the dream.  
Miles raised an eyebrow, "Where am I?"  
Peter struggled to speak, but managed, "You're in the infirmary dad."  
Miles reached for his head, then winced in pain from his chest, "What happened?"  
"There was an accident. You were in the garage with mom. A car exploded."  
Miles started, "Jasmine! Where's your mother?"  
Peter reached out and held his father's hand. He stared at the man, "Dad, slow down. I… dad… mom was in the car when it blew up. She didn't make it."  
Miles shook his head, "No!"  
He leaped out of bed and ran out of the room, "Jasmine!" The medical personnel jumped up at his sudden arrival, he continued, undaunted, "Jas!"  
Peter dashed into the room, "Dad!"  
Miles ignored his son and ran to the doorway, which flew open to reveal a very surprised Lee. He backed up, "Whoa, Miles!"  
Miles pushed onward, "Outta my way! I have to find Jasmine!"  
Lee grabbed his friend by the arms, "Miles…"  
Miles looked into the eyes of his best friend, then bit his lip, nodding, his eyes filling with tears. Miles shook himself loose and turned around, collapsing into the arms of his son.  
Peter held his father in his arms, "I know, dad. I know."  
  
***  
  
Miles had heard all of this before. The new, young doctor working in Garden was not Dr. Kadowaki, but she was reciting a very similar speech. The only difference this time was the cast. Miles sat in one of the chairs, while Veronica sat to his right, her hand on his arm for consolation and comfort. Lee sat to her right, listening intently. Peter stood up in a corner, watching intently. Quistis looked over the charts personally.  
Miles didn't pay much attention: he had been in this situation before. The last time he had heard this, Jasmine had died just recently, of course, that wasn't permanent.  
"So… it would take a great amount of energy to actually DO this. Much more capability than you have, I'm afraid. With a large enough boost of energy, you might be able to. However, the biggest problem would come from the time-space continuum. Now this part is skeptical, but we can be very sure about it. Miles, you COULD change the past, however, by doing so, in order to correct the new problems, you would be removed, more or less, from the essence of time. You would most likely die."  
Miles nodded, "I know."  
"You do?"  
"Yeah. I also think you all know what I'd do."  
Lee nodded, "You'd save her."  
Miles concurred, "Yes, I would. However, I'm not going to even try."  
Peter glared at his father, "Why not?"  
Miles gave a deep sigh, "I guess I should let you all in on a bit of a secret. This isn't the first time I've been told all of this. I'm sure most of you can recall the bombing twenty-seven years ago."  
Lee grimaced, "At the SeeD ball, that jackass Seifer."  
"Right. Well… You know that Jasmine was almost killed."  
"Yeah, pure luck you and Zell managed to pull her up."  
Miles nodded, "Yep. Well, it didn't happen like that the first time."  
Silence reigned supreme.  
"There is an alternate past. It happened, one way. Jasmine fell. I failed to save her." He paused, "I… heard about this after the bombing, after my medical exam. I tried my hardest to go on, when I discovered that I couldn't use the ability. However, not everything proceeded the same way. We all got to Esthar safely. Seifer went nuts there and then. He kidnapped Rinoa, hijacked the Ragnarok, and planted a bomb in Esthar." Miles looked at Lee, "You… you sacrificed yourself to save the citizens of Esthar. Your last words were a confession of love to Veronica. Squall and I, we got onto the Ragnarok II, and chased after Seifer. We boarded the other ship, and duked it out. Seifer killed Squall in the battle. I managed to kill Seifer, then I rescued Rinoa. Way too late. Seifer's people slaughtered the rest of you. Selphie, Irvine, Zell, Quistis, Veronica… all gone. Rinoa and I became the only survivors. So… she used her abilities to boost mine, and I went back. I changed things and managed to save Jasmine. That's when history changed as we know it."  
No one said anything, only stared.  
"I've kept that a secret for twenty-seven years."  
"Wait, how are you still alive?"  
Miles shook his head, "I wanted to live. I wasn't about to go and die at seventeen, especially not when I had someone I loved to go back to."  
"So, you'd live again?"  
"That I can't say for sure. There was a degree of luck involved too. That's not what I'm concerned about though."  
"Then what?"  
"Don't you see? There are way too many variables involved. If Jasmine lives… who knows what else might happen? We could all be killed! The next people in that van might be a bunch of little kids… I just… I'm sorry, Peter. I'm sorry, everyone. Mainly, I'm apologizing to myself here, but… I can't do it."  
  
***  
  
"Jasmine was… one of the great breaths of fresh air here at Garden. Her very presence inspired all of us to reach up for new heights. Her students respected her. Her peers were eager to befriend her. I… I loved her."   
Miles looked out at the crowd that had gathered for the event. Everyone in Garden was there, as well as others who had known here, childhood friends, relatives, Squall, Rinoa, Zell, Irvine, and Selphie. The funeral was being done in Balamb, in the Alcauld plains. Miles stood over the ceremony, his position as Garden Master allowing him to conduct the funeral.  
He caught himself from breaking down, and continued, "We will miss her. We will miss her sparkling sense of humor, her fantastic combat abilities, her amazing abilities to teach us, and train us, but most of all, we will miss her very presence. The world is a sadder place today. We have lost a great person. We have lost a hero. She stood up and saved even Squall Leonheart from certain death. She alone discovered the plot of Seifer Almasy to destroy Garden, and most of the world. She was a great person. She will be missed."  
One by one, people stood and said a few words, least of all these being Peter, who struck a moving chord, despite breaking down into tears and excusing himself. Even Squall spoke, reflecting back on the person who had saved his life.  
And off in the distance, a lone figure stood, concealed within the crowd, watched with a detached interest.  
  
***  
  
Miles stood alone on the plains. The wind blew through his hair, whipping around his clothing. He didn't notice, nor would he have cared. The gravestone was solitary, they had intentionally found a spot with no others near it. He felt a hand fall on his shoulder, and he turned to see Squall and Rinoa Leonheart. Squall looked very aged. Years of battle and hardship had not done well for his appearance.   
He nodded, "Are you alright?"  
"I'm better. But…"  
Rinoa reached out and grabbed Miles by the hand, "You'll see her again, someday."  
Miles nodded, "Oh, I've no doubt. Still…"  
Squall nodded, "I know, its rough."  
Miles turned and stared at the grave.  
  
***  
  
Lee stared at Miles, "Look, what I'm about to tell you. It's the conclusion of a week-long investigation."  
Miles nodded, I can't believe it's been a week.  
Lee sighed, "Okay. The teams investigated the wreckage, the car, whatever we could find. After a whole lot of very intense work, we've found out the cause of the explosion." He paused, "Miles, that car was rigged with a bomb."  
Miles stared forward blankly, still failing to comprehend the words he had just heard. Lee raised an eyebrow, "M? You alright?"  
Miles shook his head, "Are they sure about this?"  
"One-hundred percent."  
Miles raised his hand up, "I need a minute."  
Lee nodded, as Miles walked out of the small room used for private meetings. Another one of the additions to Garden in the past 20 years. He closed his eyes and shook his head, his thoughts racing a mile a minute. He heard the door open behind him, and Lee stepped up next to him.  
"Look, I know this is hard to take in man. Hell, I can't even imagine…"  
Miles nodded, "Who could have done this?"  
"I've got all of our available people working on it."  
Miles nodded, "I'll be in my room."  
Miles walked off.  



	3. The Investigation

Chapter Three: The Investigation  
  
Lance Derikson took a slug from the can of soda, then put it back on the table and continued to work at the laptop in front of him. He was sitting at a large table covered with research papers, biographies, statistics, incident reports, and a whole hell of a lot of junk food. Five others sat around the table, and together they made up the elite analytical minds of SeeD.  
"Okay," Lance said, "we've narrowed the list down to five people. Wanna rattle those names off again?"  
Jacob Thomas nodded, "Right. We've got Terak Briggs, Joseph Bridger, Tom Barton, Erik Strauss, and Seren Harket."  
Lance froze, "Say that name again."  
"Which one?"  
"The last one."  
"Seren Harket. Did I stuff it up?"  
"No, no!"  
Lance tapped a few keys on the keyboard, and watched the information appear on the screen.  
"Just as I thought. Alexian Harket was the name of the guy who started the Galbadian War twenty years ago. Is there any relation?"  
Ronald Palmer pulled out the biography on Seren Harket, "Pretty flimsy, chief."  
"What is it?"  
"Seren's the guy's nephew. But he was born two years after the Galbadian War."  
"So he's 18 now?"  
"Yeah."  
"How'd he get on an 'enemies of Garden' list?"  
"He was one of the guys behind the Trabia Crisis two years ago."  
Lance closed the computer, "Oh yeah. Well, that's something. Jasmine was a player in the Galbadian War. Bump him to the top of the list, and then take it alphabetically afterwards. I think we've got our man." He checked his watch, "It's only been ten hours too."  
Everyone gave a slight grin and got up from the table.  
  
***  
  
His heart was pounding. Lance stood silently to the right of the door, his gun raised and aimed at it. Behind him, three others had their individual weapons prepared. On the left side of the door were three others, all prepared. He listened into the small radio headset, waiting for the command.  
It had taken three days to track Seren Harket to his home on the Trabian continent, but they had done it. He lived in an isolated region, in a small cabin halfway up one of the mountains. A small team was quickly assembled, and, not to anyone's surprise, Miles Animus himself had elected to go along. He was at the command post, just a hundred yards off from the home.  
"Okay, invasion team, are you ready?"  
Lance slowly whispered into his set. The device he was wearing picked up the vibrations of the vocal cords, thus you could be very silent in talking, "Yeah, we're ready."  
"Okay. Go."  
Lance shot the doorhandle off, then kicked the door in. Him and the leader on the other side burst in at once, each quickly spinning to one side and covering it. The others came in almost the same way, just heading in different directions. The room was a large multipurpose. There was the usual couch and luxuries, and a small kitchen. It was clear. Lance picked himself up and gestured for his team to follow him. He stood by the next door, the one leading into the bedroom, and kicked it open, expecting to meet resistance. There was none. He spun around and moved to the bathroom, which the other team had just finished clearing. They all exchanged a few looks, then Lanced sighed.  
"This is invasion team. We're clear."  
Miles' voice returned, excited, "You got him?"  
"He's not here."  
"I didn't copy that."  
"I repeat, he is not here. The target is NOT here."  
There was silence over the line, then the voice of the on the team members came on, "Hey, I've got something here."  
Lance holstered his gun, and then looked over, "What is it?"  
"Loose floorboard."  
The man kicked at the floor, then got down and began to pry at it. He succeeded, and the board came up and out.  
"By Hyne…"  
"What is it?"  
"A body." The man pulled out the picture of Seren Harket from his pocket, and then looked back down. "From what I can see of the face… its our target."  
Lance walked over to him, and looked at the face. It was mutilated, a scar running straight down the face, and one eye was missing. Lance grimaced and turned away, "Holy shit."  
The man looked at the body a little closer, "Hey, there's a note here." He reached in and pulled out the slip of paper. There was a message written neatly.  
  
  
  
Seed-  
This is not a game. This is reality now. You cannot interfere, I know   
you all well. I will destroy you. Just prepare for it. There is nothing that can be   
done. Jasmine Animus was just the beginning.  
  
There was no signature.  
Lance took the note and pocketed it, "Alright, there's nothing else to see here. Let's go."  
  
***  
  
Miles looked over the reports. The stories were the same for Barton, Bridger, and Briggs. There were only bodies to be found.  
It's like someone knows where we're going to be at all times. There is nothing that this person hasn't seen. But according to the list, all that's left is Erik Strauss. So…  
Miles placed down the reports and looked at Lee across the table.  
"So…"  
Lee sighed, "Yeah, it's a sad story. Our threat notes and body counts are piling up."  
"They're all dead…"  
"Yep."  
Miles nodded, "Okay, hunt down Strauss."  
"Hang on. He's probably dead too."  
"Well, double-check. Then hunt down everyone on the enemy list one by one if he is. We'll find this asshole."  
Lee closed his eyes, "Miles…"  
"What?"  
"Quit it man."  
"What?"  
"Dude, it has been two weeks. Two weeks. Everyone was behind you on this one, we all wanted to find the bastard who did this to us. Not only did he kill one of our own, but he also hit us on our own turf. No one does that to SeeD. But man… that was two weeks ago. We've lost out on a lot of jobs in this manhunt. This isn't what SeeD does. We are not a police force. Balamb considers this a crime on their continent, so they're working on it just as hard. Right now, Garden has other matters. Tests and grades you need to look at and give your nod to. Students trying to learn. New students who need to be talked to and fucking met! Our SeeD test is estimated to be in about three weeks! Don't you get it man? You need to snap back and take your leadership position up. Damn it man, Jasmine was a great friend, I know you loved her, I know what you've done for her, but nothing we do will change the fact that she is dead. Right now, we just need to move on!"  
Miles stared at his old friend, "Lee…"  
"I'm sorry."  
"You're right. Jasmine wouldn't approve of this."  
Lee grinned slightly and pointed upwards, "I'm sure she agrees with the spirit, but we all know that we need to give it up. We'll get this guy. He obviously still wants us, so we'll get another shot. Right now, we just have to keep living."  
Miles closed his eyes and lowered his head. Lee sighed and rose up his hand in a fist, "Never surrender."  
Miles raised his hand in the same fashion and tapped his knuckles to Lee's, "Never die."  
  
  
***  
  
Miles looked out at the crowd of freshmen. There were the usuals, young childen, ranging from five to twelve, and then your gang of teenagers, thirteen to sixteen, the later ones would probably not make it very far. The younger ones had a lower drop out rate, since they had longer to learn. Miles coughed at the podium, and the chattering silenced quickly.  
"Hi everyone, my name is Miles Animus, and I am the headmaster of this Garden."  
There was the usual, everyone slowly said hello, and Miles noticed a small child, with bright blue eyes waving at him.  
Miles nodded with a smile and continued, "I know that this speech is a bit late, and for that, I must apologize. I… I haven't been myself lately. The recent death of my wife has affected me deeply. However, I will carry on and this Garden shall prosper."  
There was a brief silence, and Miles continued, "I'm not going to beat around the bush here, Garden is not easy to graduate or prosper in. Many of you won't make it; many of you won't become SeeDs. Let me start out by saying that there is no dishonor in that. Seifer Almasy was not a SeeD, but he was one of the two top gunblade users of all time. This shows one thing. If you don't make it into SeeD, odds are it isn't because of your ability, rather, your lack of ability to listen and follow orders. You are students at this Garden, and as such you must be shining examples of obedience. I look forward to the next few years with you all. Although I may not get to see many of you graduate, I nonetheless am proud to welcome you to Balamb Garden. Good luck to you all. I'll now pass over the mike to the head of SeeD's strategic element, Lee Reist."  
Miles stepped down to applause, which continued as Lee stepped up. Lee raised his hands up, and everyone quieted down.  
He began, "I know you all look at Miles and say… 'damn that guy is weak! I mean, look at him! Like he's ever done anything!' Let me tell you this guys: I said the same thing." There was a burst of laughter, and he continued, "However, that simply isn't true. Miles is… suffice to say it, one of the greatest warriors of all time, easily one of the top three gunblade users ever. He was instrumental in the rescue of Squall and Rinoa Leonheart from a prison complex in restored Galbadia. He alone has met and interacted with figures who were the pivotal players in the First and Second Sorceress Wars, as well as the Galbadian Conflict, and the Fisherman's Horizon incident. His recently departed wife, Jasmine, was the one who snuffed Seifer Almasy. He was a close friend of Laguna Loire. He even busted the guy out of a jam once or twice. Not many people have that kind of resume. I'm happy to say that he is my friend." Everyone applauded, and Lee silenced them after a few minutes, "Now, on to the point…"  
Miles sighed from the speech. Now they had expectations of him. High ones. He felt someone tap him on the shoulder, and looked over at Lance Derikson.  
Miles whispered, "Lance, what's going on?"  
Lance nodded, "We need to talk, ASAP."  
Miles grimaced, then nodded.  
  
***  
  
Lance shoved a small stack of papers at Miles, "We've got him. Or… we're close."  
Miles grinned, "So soon?"  
"Well, the Balamb authorities were kind and cooperated. Their investigation turned up some interesting facts. Mainly ship registers."  
Miles nodded, "The names of people coming into and out of Balamb."  
"Right, from there, it was a matter of narrowing down who arrived before, and left soon after the crime."  
Miles nodded, "So sock it to me."  
Lance pulled a sheet of paper out of the stack, "Three names: Xela Tsier, Jeahor Gabor, and Carey Laske."  
"Fantastic. I assume Balamb is on the case?"  
"Yeah, they've done a damned good job. But there's a problem."  
"What is it?"  
"Well… Gabor was arrested."  
"Great!"  
"The day he arrived in Balamb. He's wanted for other crimes. They let him go shortly after."  
"Damn."  
"Carey Laske… is dead."  
"What happened?"  
"She was killed in Balamb the day of the crime. Someone stole her identity and used it to flee the area. They discovered her body a few days ago."  
"What about Tsier?"  
"Well, we don't know where he is. Balamb authorities are tracking him down, but no nation seems to have any record of his existence. Ever."  
"Alias?"  
"We've checked, its not a known alias, but we're trying to match it up."  
"Okay." Miles looked at all the papers, "What's the rest of this?"  
"We sent the material we could scrounge from the wreck to Balamb for analysis. That's the final report."  
Miles sighed, "It was a car."  
Lance grinned, "Yes, but we've gotten a huge lead."  
"What's it?"  
"The material from the bomb, it's a rare material called tesuniam. It's only found in one area."  
"Where?"  
"Esthar."  
Miles grinned, "So we know where to look?"  
"You're damned straight. We've already made contact with the President. He's agreed to cooperate fully."  
Miles got up and shook Lance's hand, "You're the right man for this job y'know. You should get into police work."  
Lance laughed nervously, "Sir, my place is with this Garden. I'll use my skills as needed."  
Miles grinned, "If only we had more use for it, I'd open up an investigative department and put you in charge."  
Lance nodded, "Thank you, sir. But I think my work is nearly done here. All that's left is the hunt. The bastard is on the run now."  
Miles closed his eyes and allowed a sigh of relief, "Soon."  



	4. The Forgotten Generation

Chapter Four: The Forgotten Generation  
  
Peter held the shotglass in his hand. Inside of it was a mix of a dozen alcoholic substances. He didn't know any of their names, but he enjoyed the taste. He especially enjoyed the effects. He lifted the glass and downed it. He slammed it back down on the bar.  
"More!"  
The bartender looked at him with a curious eye, "Are you sure?"  
Peter pointed to the bar in a half-drunken manner, "Damn straight."  
The bartender shrugged and began to pour, until another hand came in and made a 'kill' gesture. The bartender looked up, nodded, and stopped.  
Peter looked behind him and saw Neos Leonheart standing above him, "Peter, what the hell are you doing?"  
Peter shook his head, "What do you care, man? I've got my problems, and I'll handle 'em my way."  
"Man, it has been two weeks. Don't you think you should… look at the world outside the bar?"  
"I'm on a leave, I'll do whatever the hell I want!"  
"I'm on a leave too. Julia got one, I got one, you got one, and a whole bunch more of us got one. Balamb is a pretty little town, maybe you should look around."  
"I like the bar."  
"Peter…"  
"Shut up! What do you know anyway?"  
Neos stepped back, and Peter sobbed a bit.  
"Is your mommy dead? Huh? No, your mom is a sorceress, she'll live for fucking ever."  
"Pete…"  
"And your dad? Well? No, he's a fucking hero! Everyone loves the great Squall Leonheart! His son is just as perfect! Your grandfather was the fucking president of Esthar! What do I get, huh? My dad was unconscious for the FH thing, and he couldn't even commit to bringing a kid into the world. No one knows me, no one cares."  
Neos stepped forward and placed a hand on Peter's shoulder, "That's not how it is Pete."  
"Oh? Then how is it? Huh? How is it big boy? Tell me just how it is, oh great son of the hero!"  
Neos sighed, "Peter, do you have any idea what it is like being the son of Squall Leonheart? It sucks! I spent a good portion of my life hiding from terrorist attacks. I was the target of a Galbadian hunt. I almost got killed in Esthar- twice! Need we forget the many times when I was simply surrounded by nosy reporters dying to see the 'President's adorable little grandson'?"  
Peter stared coldly.  
"I'm just a regular guy. With dad retired and grandpa dead… my life has finally started to relax a little."  
Peter turned back to the bar, "Who cares about you? I've got my own problems."  
Neos sighed, "Pete, you're drunk."  
Peter turned to Neos and pointed a finger at him, "I am not… drunkish. I'm jush in mourning."  
Neos sat down at the bar, "Y'know, you're not the only one suffering from this." Peter just stared, so Neos continued, "When mom and dad left Garden, Julia was 14. She was kinda young. Jasmine became a mother to her. They bonded, talked, enjoyed each other's company. You know that as well as I. How do you think she feels right now? What about Lee? He knew you mother since they were kids. He was with her on the SeeD test. He helped comfort her after the bomb that nearly killed your dad. He was there to watch them grow and marry and have a kid. How do you think he feels watching this happen? What about Selphie? She was a mother to your mother. She cared for her, watched over her; they had a bond going on. How do you think Selphie feels outliving your mom? What about the students, past and present? They loved Jasmine. What about your dad? By Hyne, Pete! Do I even need to go there?"  
Peter stumbled for words, and finally came out with something not so intelligent, "Shut up!"  
Neos sighed, "This is gonna hurt you a lot more than it hurts me, but it's for your own good."  
Neos balled his right hand into a fist, and launched a clean shot right into Peter's face. He recoiled his hand and shook off the pain while Peter lay prostrate on the floor.  
"Alright, maybe the pain broke even." He looked at the shocked bartender, "Put it on my tab."  
"Is he alright?"  
"Hey, I'm a Leonheart, of course he isn't alright after I hit him."  
The bartender looked at Neos in a mixture of shock and awe, then nodded, "Alright, you need help carrying him?"  
"No, thanks."  
Neos bent down and picked up Peter over his shoulder, whispering, "Y'know Pete, the attention may suck, but being a Leonheart sure does get you some nice offers."  
  
***  
  
When Peter awoke, he was in a bed of the Balamb hotel, still dressed in the clothes from the last night, and he stunk of alcohol. He moaned, his head pounding, and sat up. On the other side of the room, sitting at the table with a book and glass of water, was Neos Leonheart. Neos looked over at Peter.  
"You're awake."  
Peter rubbed the side of his face, and nodded.  
"How're you feeling?"  
Peter groaned and pushed himself off the bed.  
"I thought so. Sorry if I hit you kinda hard. Although I'm sure the hangover ain't helpful."  
Peter shook his head, and opened his mouth to speak. Movement of his jaw was painful, but he continued, "No hangover, not right now. Damn you."  
Neos laughed, "At least I didn't bruise you… much."  
Peter looked in a mirror; the left side of his face had a dark-colored marking, which was obviously a bruise.  
"Damn you again."  
Peter turned and stared at Neos, then walked over and sat down, "But… thanks."  
Neos nodded, "Someone needed to do it."  
"Yeah. Hey look… about what I said last night. I don't remember much of it, but what I do remember…"  
Neos cut him off, "Don't worry about it. In a way, you're right. I am… gifted with my heritage, but so are you. That's our problem man. My dad, you're dad, they're members of the 'greatest generation'. What are we? We're their kids, and we have to live with it. We have to live UP to it. Everyone expects us to do great things, and quite frankly, that's an expectation I don't want to live up to. That's our problem, we've got to live up to LEGENDS. How do we do that?"  
Peter shook his head sadly, "Still, I'm sorry."  
Neos nodded and looked back down at his book, "Hey… Julia is… on the dock."  
Peter looked up at his friend, eyebrow raised, and Neos just smiled and nodded.  
  
***  
  
"Julia."  
Julia Leonheart brushed aside her long, black hair, and looked up at Peter Animus, her brown eyes sparkling in the bright Balamb sun.   
She smiled and nodded, "Hi." Then she turned around and looked out at the sea.  
She was sitting on the edge of the dock, her bare feet submerged in the water. Peter slowly walked over and sat down next to her.  
"So… how are you doing?"  
She bit her lip, "Alright, why?"  
"Um… I just know this hit you kind of hard."  
She grinned slightly, "Peter, what the heck are you talking about? This hit you harder than anyone else. She was your mom."  
"I know, but I know you two were close, and, well," Peter rubbed the side of his face, "Your brother kind of reminded me I'm not the only one upset about this."  
She looked at him with a grin, "He has a way of doing that."  
"Yeah."  
She laughed, then noticed the bruise on his cheek, "Ooh, are you alright?" She gently placed her hand on his face.  
"Yeah, I deserved it."  
"What did he do to you?"  
"He prevented me from doing something I would regret."  
"I swear…"  
He placed his hand on hers and lowered it back to the dock, "Julia, I appreciate it, but trust me, he was right."  
She sighed, "It's just that… sometimes… I worry…"  
She cut herself off and pulled her hand back onto her lap, staring off at the sea. Peter continued to gaze at her for a second, then turned to the sea and sighed.  
  
***  
  
  
"I've never… killed a person"  
Peter and Neos sighed and took a sip from their glasses. Julia stared in open amazement as they placed the glasses down.  
"You have?"  
The two men sighed, and Peter nodded, "I've been a SeeD for four years, now, and Neos has been one for nine. Of course we have."  
Neos nodded grimly, "It isn't pleasant, but it is unfortunately one of those things you get used to."  
The young woman sighed in slight shock, "I guess I just don't want to know that kind of stuff about my brother."  
"Well, you shouldn't have bought it up then."  
"Wait a minute," Peter said, "How did you pass the SeeD test without killing someone?"  
She sighed, "The mission didn't really include it. Besides," she posed triumphantly, "I'm a Leonheart, my combat skills need not be tested!"  
Peter laughed, "How did you get that idea in your head?"  
She giggled as she relaxed her pose; "Actually, an instructor said that to me."  
Neos grinned widely, "Instructor Astus, right?"  
"How did you know?"  
"He said the same thing to me."  
She nodded, "Alright, Pete, your turn."  
Peter sighed and thought for a moment, "Let's see. Okay, I've never… used a lighter."  
The other two laughed and took a sip of their drinks.  
Neos glared at Peter questioningly, "What the hell is wrong with you?"  
Peter sighed, "Hey, mom and dad, they were kind of strict. Didn't want me to play with fire."  
"Dude, you… are… twenty… years… old."  
Julia giggled, "You've never even picked up a lighter?"  
Neos reached into his pocket and pulled out a small silver-plated lighter and tossed it to Peter, who caught it, then flipped it around in his hand. He sighed, stared at the device for a second, then flipped the lid open and quickly ran his thumb down the small gear. A spark showed, then a flame danced on the top of the lighter.  
Julia clapped in delight, and Neos simply grinned as Peter shut the lighter and handed it over.  
Peter flashed a cynical smile at Julia, "Happy?"  
"Yes, you're a man now, Peter Animus."  
Neos pocketed the lighter, "Before we continue you've used a match… right?"  
Peter rolled his eyes and sighed, "Yes, I've used a match. Your turn, Leonheart."  
The other two stared at him. He sighed, "Neos."  
Neos flashed a grin, and thought for a moment, "I've never… had sex before."  
Peter blinked harshly and looked the other way   
Julia fell onto her back and tried hard not to blush, "I don't want to know about my brother's sex life!"  
Peter sighed, and kept his drink on the table, as well as Julia.  
Neos simply stared, "Hey, so I'm not alone."  
Peter glared, "No, you're not! But you didn't need to say that! I mean… oh man!"  
Neos grinned, and stared at Julia, who was only now catching her breath, "Your turn, sis."  
She sighed, "I'm not playing anymore. I don't wanna know where this game goes from here."  
Peter laughed as she got up and headed to her room, "You sure have a talent for ending things quickly, Neos."  
He shrugged, "Whatever. Eventually, you two will be sipping your glasses together on that question."  
Peter stared as Neos left the room, "What do you mean by that?"  
Neos laughed, "You know damn well what I mean!"  
Peter got up and yelled out to Neos, "It's not like that!"  
"Not yet at least!"  
Peter stormed outside and walked over to Neos, who was standing on the corner, waiting for clearance to cross, "Neos, why are you doing this?"  
"Doing what?"  
"Acting like there's something between me and your sister."  
Neos sighed and looked his best friend in the eyes, "Dude, my sister has a thing for you."  
"Bullshit."  
"Not bullshit. She admitted it to me once, very discreetly."  
"Man, she practically ignores me."  
"Practically. She just… doesn't quite know what to do. She's never been in any sort of relationship before."  
"Well, great, but I don't think she has…"  
Neos held up his hands, "I'm just the messenger."  
"How long ago was this?"  
"Was what?"  
"When she admitted feelings for me."  
"Oh! Well… I was twenty one, so that would make her… twelve."  
Peter scoffed, "Twelve? C'mon! Dude, that's puppy love. Just a preteen crush." Peter sucked in his insignificant gut and crossed his arms, "I mean, with my amazing figure…"  
Neos laughed, "Don't make me hit you again."  
Peter winced and backed away, "Alright!"  
The walk signal was given, and Neos crossed the road, leaving Peter alone to think.  
Nah.  
He turned around and entered the hotel, where the receptionist looked up at him, "You've got a phone call."  
"Me?"  
She looked around the room and rolled her eyes, "No, the other guy in the lobby. Yes you, ya stupid twit."  
Peter raised his hands in surrender and walked up to his room, where the phone's light was blinking. He picked it up and pressed the button to listen.  
The voice was that of Miles Animus, "Hey, Pete, call back ASAP."  
Peter frowned and dialed up his father's office at Garden. As usual, the connection was shaky, but it worked.  
"Miles Animus."  
"Dad. What's up?"  
"Oh Peter, thank Hyne you got back to me."  
"Dad, what's wrong?"  
The voice was on the verge of a breakdown, "We've had an incident."  
"Dad, relax. What happened?"  
"Quistis is dead."  
Peter dropped the receiver, and it dangled a few inches above the ground, held up by the cord. Miles continued to talk on the other end.  
"Peter? Pete you there? Kid, talk to me!"  
Peter grabbed the receiver, "Dad, I'm here."  
"Peter…"  
"Yeah. What the hell happened?"  
"The doctors say natural causes."  
"She was in her sixties. Jeez, she had at least ten more years left in her."  
"I'm sorry, Pete."  
"Dad, don't be sorry. You didn't do anything." He paused, "Are they sure natural causes?"  
"Ninety percent."  
"That's not very sure, is it?"  
"Pete, what are you saying?"  
"I dunno, it just seems too… coincidental. First mom, then Quistis, in the same month. I'm sorry, I guess I'm just upset."  
"No, it's alright. I thought about that too. But…"  
"Yeah. Where are you guys?"  
"On our way to pick you up in Balamb, then, off to Centra. She wanted to be buried there."  
"Okay. Do the others know?"  
"I've contacted Julia, I'm about to call Neos, then the rest of you in Balamb."  
"Alright. Good night, dad."  
"Good night, Pete."  
"Wait, dad."  
"What is it?'  
"Be careful, alright?"  
"You too."  
Peter hung up the phone, then sat on his bed, and stared out the window, where the stars of the night sky were dimmed by cloud cover.  



	5. Additional Loss

Chapter Five: Additional Loss  
  
Edea's house was in a horrible state of disrepair. Cid and his wife had died over thirty years ago, and no one was taking care of the home. One wall had fallen clean off, causing a significant draft. Selphie sat in the main room right now, her head in her hands, looking out at the view of the flower field.  
Irvine walked into the room, "Sefie?" She sighed, he sat next to her, "Are you alright?"  
She sighed again and stood up, "Fifty years ago, we stood… here. Don't know exactly what we did, but we had fun." She smiled bitterly and turned to Irvine, "Our orphanage gang is short two."  
"Two?"  
"Quistis and Seifer. He may have turned, but he WAS part of the gang."  
Irvine nodded, "Yeah, only four left now."  
She shook her head, "My memory still fades."  
"We were junctioned too long."  
She turned back and looked at the field, "If I live long enough… will I forget Quistis? The only reason I remember the orphanage is because someone is always there to remind me. But…"  
Irvine stood and gripped her on the shoulders, "Don't think that way. We'll never forget Quistis. She was always there for us."  
She sniffled a bit, "I know, but… I guess I just never expected any of us to die. We're supposed to be immortal, y'know? And so soon after…"  
She bowed her head, "The two of them."  
"Losing them is tragic, but we have to move on."  
"It's just as if… is the ending coming, Irvy?"  
"Hey," he said with a laugh, trying to lighten up the mood, "my Sefie does not think that way. What happened to the optimistic Selphie we all knew and wondered about?"  
She smiled, "I'm still here. Just old, and starting to wonder."  
They raised their heads and looked out at the field together. It only lasted for a moment, as Zell stumbled into the room, "Oh, hey guys." He looked at them, "Oh… sorry."  
Selphie turned around, "No, stay, we were just… remembering."  
Squall entered the room and took a look around, "What's going on?"  
Everyone looked around, and finally, Irvine spoke, "We're the remaining four."  
Squall thought for a moment, then he realized what they were talking about, "Yeah." He gave a small grin, "But really, what were the odds that we'd make it to where we are now? I thought we were all dead during the Ultemicia thing. When Seifer pulled the knife on me in Esthar, I could've sworn I was finished but…"  
Selphie whispered, "Jasmine."  
"Yeah. Then the bomb in Deling, what were the odds that Miles would've gotten Rinoa and me out of THAT one? Zell, there's your escape from Winhill. Selphie, there is your little escapade during the Trabia Crisis. I mean… we're lucky to still be alive."  
Zell sat down and bowed his head, "Good thing we all quit the biz, huh? How much longer would our luck have lasted?"  
Irvine raised his hands up, "Whoa, wait up. Can we NOT look at this negatively? I mean, we're alive, ain't that good for something?"  
Selphie nodded, "Yeah, no good just sitting around thinking pessimistically. Think about what we have. What we've done."  
Zell smiled, "Fifty years ago, did you ever think that we'd be heroes, that we'd fight the Second Sorceress War?"  
Squall shook his head, "Of course not, I bet most of us were thinking that we'd do anything to PREVENT that war. Most of us were orphans because of it. I was an orphan because it ended."  
"Strange course of events, huh?"  
"Yeah."   
Zell looked around, "Hey, where's Rinoa?"  
"She's with the kids."  
Selphie smiled, "Squall, they're twenty-seven and eighteen, I don't think they're kids anymore."  
Squall nodded, "Yeah, well, when I realize that they've grown up, I realize I'm just getting older, so don't remind me, alright?"  
Selphie laughed, "I envy you two."  
Squall cracked a small smile. Selphie and Irvine had never had children. They had tried, but it had never happened.  
"Well," he said, trying to keep off of a touchy subject, "Maybe we should make sure she hasn't smothered them to death."  
He walked out of the room, and headed outside, where most of the others were hanging around. He walked over to Rinoa, who was sitting alone, looking out at the sea.  
"Hey, are you alright?"  
She looked up at him, "I'll be fine."  
"I'm surprised you aren't all over the kids."  
She smiled slightly, "Well, I guess I just needed to think."  
He backed up a step, "Do you want to be alone?"  
She reached out and held his hand, "No, it helps to have you around."  
He smiled slightly and sat next to her. She sighed slightly, "I just can't believe she's gone."  
"None of us can."  
"She was always so… silent, but…somehow…"  
"Poignant."  
Rinoa laid her head on his shoulder, "Yeah. Thanks."  
He looked at her, and then back to the sea, "How're the kids holding up?"  
"Julia is taking it kind of hard, I'm not sure about Neos."  
"He acts like I did sometimes."  
She sighed, "Yeah, but at least SOMETIMES he acts normal."  
Squall cracked a smile, "Yeah."  
She lifted her head up and stared into Squall's eyes, "Talk to Miles."  
"What's wrong?"  
"He's really taking it hard."  
"After Jasmine, I'd imagine." She sighed as he pushed himself up, "I'll be right back." He walked over to Miles, who was sitting up against a wall, flipping around a picture taken long ago. Squall caught a glimpse of it. It featured the entire gang, a few weeks after the FH incident.  
Squall sat down next to Miles, "Things were simple then."  
Miles slowly turned to Squall, "Seems like forever."  
"Only what? Twenty-seven years?"  
"Yeah."  
"Wow. Who would have thought it? I'm fifty-four, which means half my life has passed since then."  
Miles thought for a moment, "Jasmine was seventeen then. She would have been fourty-four in three weeks. Her first half ended at twenty-two."  
Squall mentally kicked himself, "Look, I'm sorry."  
"For what? For living? Squall, you apologize too much."  
"Look…"  
"I've stopped being upset, and just started accepting it. I mean, I'll never get over it, but I can't kill myself over her death. What bugs me is that it seems like when I take control; everything goes wrong for the Garden. What am I supposed to do?"  
"Wait, Quistis was natural."  
"Yeah, but that's not the real point here, the point is that… damn it I don't know what the point is. All I know is that her death, is not only sad, but a reminder that many more are going to die unless I make a move and stop this son of a bitch. Someone out there has a vendetta against Garden, and I don't know how to stop him. I don't know who he is!"  
"Vendetta against Garden?"  
"Oh yeah, you haven't heard."  
"Do tell."  
"I'll make it simple. We thought we had the guy who killed Jasmine, and busted down his door. When we got there, he was dead with a note that promised more death. We moved to the next guy, and the next guy, and so one, they were all dead. They all had a similar note."  
"By Hyne."  
"Yeah. I know I can take him, but we have to get to him first. I mean, this guy is… he knows what we're gonna do before we do it. He's like Harket."  
"That was bad."  
"Very. This is worse. At least with Harket you knew who you could trust. What if this is somebody within Garden?"  
Squall sighed, "Right. Well, do you have any idea?"  
"Just that he is somewhere in Esthar."  
Squall rolled his eyes, "That helps a lot."  
"Yeah."  
Squall sighed, "Well, I know you guys can do this. You've pulled off taking down armies. I think one man will be fairly simple."  
Miles shook his head, "With the armies, there were two sides. Now," he looked up at Squall, "I can't trust anyone."  



	6. The Beginning of the End

Chapter Six: The Beginning of the End  
  
Jennie Tlaxas sighed and flipped the pen around in her hand. She lost grip, and the pen flew across the lobby. She made no effort to pick it up, instead she remained seated behind the reception desk, lazily watching three figures enter the building.  
They were dressed in dark robes. The tallest one approached the desk, while the other two stayed by the door, arms at their sides. The man spoke softly, "I'd like to see the station manager, please."  
She sighed and looked through the appointment book, "Name?"  
The man shook his head, "I don't have an appointment."  
"Well, you'll have to make one. Mr. Roberts is a very busy man. I can pencil you in on…"  
The man slammed his hand on the book, "I don't think you understand."  
She looked up to see the other two men holding large automatic guns aimed at her head.  
The leader continued, "I'm going to see Mr. Roberts."  
  
***  
  
Miles leaned back in his chair, and was just starting to relax when his aide walked into the room.  
"Mr. Animus, you have an urgent call."  
"How urgent?"  
"Trust me, sir. You shouldn't miss this one."  
Miles nodded reluctantly, and reached to his desk, pressing a small button. The viewscreen came up, and the face of Jake Loganas, President of Esthar, appeared.  
Miles started, and then regained himself, "Mr. President. To what do I owe the… honor?"  
Loganas, sighed, "Animus, we've got a problem."  
"Oh?"  
"Exactly three hours ago, Esthar National Television was taken over by terrorists."  
"And?"  
"We want you to get them."  
"I don't see why you need us. Can't the police handle it?"  
Loganas nodded, "But we figured you'd want this one personally. We think it's the guy who killed your wife."  
Miles raised an eyebrow, "What makes you say that?"  
Another sigh, "The stuff he's been saying has been pure anti-SeeD. Condemning everything SeeD has done since the Second Sorceress War."  
"I thought you didn't like SeeD."  
Loganas glared, "I don't like mercenaries, but this is too far."  
Miles gently snapped his fingers off to the side, and his aide understood, getting the television.  
"Okay, Jakey boy. We can be there in… well, it'll take us a while."  
"The Ragnarok is on the way."  
"Wow. That's service."  
"Oh yes, Animus?"  
"What?"  
"Please keep this clean. That's our finest television station."  
Miles hit the button again, and the phone hung up. The aide flipped on the television, and tuned into ENTV. A figure appeared on screen, dressed in a black robe that cast a shadow over his face, effectively hiding his face from view.  
The figure spoke, "That's right, folks. We're still on. So, let's start with our list of crimes again. For those of you just tuning in, we're talking about the evil organization that IS SeeD. That's right, SeeD is evil, allow me to prove it to you. Thirty-seven years ago, they attempted to kill the President of Galbadia, then the Galbadian Ambassador. Then, they illegally entered Esthar, and destroyed our prized Space Station, AFTER freeing Adel and BEFORE stealing the Ragnarok. Twenty-seven years ago, they bought war to a small, peaceful town called Fisherman's Horizon. Of course, this is after they attempted to take over Deling City. Twenty years ago, they played a part in the destruction of Deling City, and in the damaging of Winhill. After that, they ONCE AGAIN destroyed our Space Station. Two years ago, they wrought havoc in the peaceful area of Trabia. And just recently, they've got renegade on the world, hunting down and killing their so-called 'enemies.' Ladies and gentlemen of the world, SeeD should be destroyed. That is why I am calling on all the nations of the world to join me in the assault on SeeD!"  
Miles motioned to his aide, who flipped off the TV.  
"Pretty serious stuff, sir. But… that was all…"  
Miles sighed, "Bullshit?"  
"Yes, sir. To put it mildly."  
Miles nodded, "Yeah. But that's gotta be the guy. Get Lee, Veronica, Julia, Neos, and my son."  
The aide nodded, and ran off. Miles turned and reached up to where the Dual Hyperion was resting on a shelf. He pulled down his weapon, and ran a finger along the edge.  
"You ready, tiger?"  
  
***  
  
The atmosphere in the Ragnarok was silent. Miles sat silently in his seat, watching the world fly by at high speed, allowing his thoughts to drift even faster.  
His reverie was interrupted by his son, Peter, who sat in the seat next to him, "Hey dad."  
Miles shook himself out of the state, "What's up, Pete?"  
"Dad… we were talking… and… well… the gang all agrees. If the chance comes, we want you to have the final shot on this guy."  
"What?"  
"You know. You deserve to kill the guy more than any of us, so… if you want it… finish him yourself."  
Miles shook his head, "Jeez, Pete. This isn't a deathmatch. This is an operation."  
Pete nodded, "Yes, but when you get in there, when you're face-to-face with the guy who killed mom, will you think that?"  
Miles went silent.  
  
***  
  
Miles held the Dual Hyperion by his side, watching as the others moved around him. Peter positioned himself on the other side of the door, his gun drawn and ready, while everyone else ran to their positions around the building. Miles felt a bit of tension, and took a deep breath in, then out, slowly releasing the pressure. He spoke into the headset, "Neos, Julia, you ready?"  
Neos' voice came back, "I'm set to go cap'n."  
Miles nodded, "Okay, how about you, Lee?"  
"Me and Veronica are ready when you are."  
"Okay, wait one second."  
The group of six was positioned around the entire building, one for each of the three entrances. Miles and Peter had the main entrance, while Neos and Julia took the back, and Lee and Veronica were on the side. Miles nodded to his son, who returned the guesture.  
"Okay, team. GO!"  
The door blew open in an array of flame next to them, and the pair dashed into the main lobby of the building. There was no presence inside, but that didn't mean there was no threat. Miles dashed across, and leapt over the reception desk, while Peter opted for the small security room just behind the desk. As he entered, Peter realized why the place had been taken so easily.  
There was no security, just a bunch of televisions displaying different parts of the stations, but indeed, there was no sign that anyone had used the room for years.  
Peter flicked his eyes from one screen to the next, checking for anything suspicious.  
-Static.-  
-Empty room.-  
-Dressing room.-  
-Static.-  
-Static.-  
-Backstage.-  
-Newsroom.-  
-Sitcom set- a bad one.-  
-Static.-  
-Empty room.-  
-Main control room- one bad guy.-  
-Bingo.-  
Peter stared at the picture the screen showed. There stood the cloaked figure, still broadcasting his anti-SeeD message, behind him, was a group of hostages, all gagged and bound behind a protective bullet-proof window. A guard stood with them.  
Peter spoke into his headset, "I found 'em."  
The replies came back from everyone, "Where?"  
Peter looked at the labels, "Room 2B. There's also one guard in the master control room."  
Miles entered the room, "Nice work, kiddo. Okay, listen up team, Lee, meet me by the stairwell, Neos, can you and Julia handle the control room guy?"  
"Yeah, we got 'em boss."  
"Right then. Let's get a move on."  
  
***  
  
Neos tightened his grip on his gunblade, the Battleaxe. The design was quite unique, instead of following the usual sleek format of a gunblade, his model truly lived up to its name. A large, long axe with a gun would be an accurate description. The weapon was powerful, but very heavy and hard to use.  
Behind him, his sister followed, holding onto her nunchakus as if her life depended on it.  
He took a look up the stairs, then nodded, whispering to her, "Let's go."  
She nodded in agreement, and they slowly walked up the stairs together, taking each step with a small degree of caution, knowing they'd be alerted as to any movement of the bad guys. As they came up out on the top, they found themselves at a T-junction, looking both ways.  
Julia shook her head, "Which way do we go?"  
Neos bit his lip and looked around for some sort of sign. He managed to find one just a few feet down the hallway, and he turned to his sister, "This way."  
They both proceeded cautiously down the hall, every step seeming like an avalanche of sound to the two of them. After walking a few yards, they came to the control room. Neos ran to one side of the door and planted himself up against he wall, while Julia did the same on the other side.  
Neos whispered into the LASH set, "Lead, it's Neos. We're in position."  
Mile's voice came back, "Neos, lead here. In position also. Stack up."  
Neos edged to the doorway.  
"Stacked."  
"Acknowledged. Okay, ready to go? Go!"  
Neos kicked in the door, and Julia came right into the room, gun raised, Neos only a second afterwards, holding the battleaxe parallel to his shoulders, behind his head.  
Julia yelled, "Drop it, now!"  
The man kept the automatic gun lowered, frantically looked around, looking for an option.  
Neos joined in the yelling, "DROP THE GUN!"  
The man looked around, then quickly raised the gun.  
Two shots fired off, and when the smoke cleared, the figure was on the ground, two bleeding holes in his chest. Julia held her pistol, still aiming at the man, trembling in her hands. Neos checked the man's pulse, and reading a negative, he looked back up at his sister. She still hadn't moved.  
He put the gunblade on the ground for a second, then walked over to his sister, slowly watching her, tremble. He breathed in, and slowly removed the gun from her hands, "You okay?"  
She took a moment to catch her breath, now wringing her wrists, "…yeah. I'll be alright."  
He pulled a chair, and sat her down, talking into the LASH again, "Control room, clear. I'm escorting Julia out."  
"Is she alright?"  
"She's shaken."  
"Alright, we'll handle it from here."  
Neos nodded and reached out a hand towards his sister. She looked at him, nodded slowly, and took his hand.  
  
***  
  
Miles stood by the door, watching as Lee and Veronica moved around to the other door. Him and Peter stood silently by theirs. Confirmation came over the headsets, and Peter moved in, attaching a small explosive charge to the door.  
Miles and Peter backed up. Miles spoke into the headset, "Ready… go!"  
Peter hit the detonator, and the doors exploded, all four people dashing into the room at once. Lee smashed his fist into the face of the guard, and Miles got right up to the leader, placing the Dual Hyperion right up at his neck, "Don't move, asshole."  
Lee and Veronica began to evacuate the hostages, while the man stood tall, "What exactly do you want?"  
Miles grinned, "Stupid idiot. We're here to take back the station. Smile, you're still on TV. Pete? Tie the bastard up."  
Peter moved around to wrap the wrist-lashes up, when the figure moved his hand backwards, and without warning; a bright flash of light filled the room. Miles felt himself fly back towards the wall, and smashed into it with a sickening thud.  
The pain was sharp, and he could feel a rib broken. He pushed himself up, and shook his head. His vision blurry, his head pounding, he took a look at his son. Peter was struggling to get up, but he looked all right. Miles focused back to the shrouded figure in the center, who held his hand up, open, small bits of energy flying around his fingers.  
It took Miles a minute to comprehend what had just happened.  
-That guy is a sorcerer.-  
The feeling came down on him like a fifteen-ton weight.  
-Shit.-  
Miles had never actually fought a sorcerer before. Lee had, but then again, Lee had done it with an anti-magic field. This was not quite so favorable.  
He raised up the Dual Hyperion, and charged at his opponent, who stared at Miles, then raised his hand in a fist. Bolts of lightning emanated from the man, and Miles felt his body attacked with 3000 volts of electricity. He held on, life draining, barely able to keep his eyes open. He managed to see, through teary, blurry, and ever-darkening vision, his son, Peter, moving to the cloaked man.  
Peter rose up his pistol, and crashed it down on the other man's head. The man stood for a second, and then crumpled to the ground in a heap. The electric current dissipated from the room, and Miles fell to the ground. Peter ran over to his father, "Dad!"  
The shroud slowly left Miles' eyes, and he opened his mouth, cracked and dry. No words came out.  
Peter nodded and grabbed a small glass of water on a nearby table, slowly pouring it into his father's mouth.  
Miles coughed, "Is he out?"  
"Yeah, you alright?"  
"I've been better. Shocking experience, really."  
Peter grinned slightly, and walked over to the cloaked man, his father standing over him.  
"Okay Mr. Sorcerer, let's see just who you are."  
Peter grabbed the hood, and ripped it off of the man's head, "Oh… Hyne…"  
Miles fell back into one of the chairs, "No…"  



	7. Justice

Chapter Seven: Justice  
  
The trial was quick. No time was wasted in reaching the verdict. Five counts of murder, one count of resist of arrest, one count of armed invasion, one count of illegal signal interference, one count of hostage taking. Guilty on all counts. Normally the punishment would be a simple death sentence. However, in this case, things were slightly different  
"Alex Reist, you have been found guilty on five counts of murder, one count of resist of arrest, one count of armed invasion, one count of illegal signal interference, and one count of hostage taking. With consideration of your powers, your punishment will mean your escort to the Sorceress Memorial, where you will be sealed from the rest of the world. Dismissed."  
The crowd gave the expected gasps, and up in the front rows, Veronica Reist cried.  
  
***  
  
Miles sat down and quickly glanced at his friend, then diverted his eyes and nervously looked around the room. Lee sat, nursing the cup of coffee, staring down at the table.  
The silence reigned, then, finally, Lee looked up, "Sorry."  
Miles raised an eyebrow, "Sorry?"  
"Yeah, I mean… damn it… I raised him…"  
"Whoa!" Miles leaned forward, "These kids were a group effort. Alex, Peter, Julia, Neos… we all raised them. Don't blame yourself. In the end, the decision was his to make, and he made it."  
Lee sighed, "I just… he killed Jasmine… but I can't hate him… he's my son."  
Miles nodded, "Hey, don't kill yourself over this. No one cares what you think. I'll understand either way."  
Lee shook his head, "No… he may be my son, but what he did… the lives he took… I can't forgive him. But… I have to see him again, before they seal him."  
Miles nodded again, and stood up, "Then let's go see him."  
  
***  
  
As Miles walked through the halls of the Sorceress Memorial, he was overcome with a horrible feeling of despair. This place was not a happy place. So much history, yet all of it so violent. It was like Deling City, or Tear's Point. He had never been here before, but he immediately recognized the feel.  
He looked to his right, where Lee walked alongside, taking in the sight of the building, understandably with less enthusiasm.  
Miles sighed, -Poor guy. Can't help but feel sorry for him, what he's gotta be going through right now…-  
Lee looked up at Miles, "Something wrong?"  
"What?"  
"You sighed, any particular reason?"  
Miles shook his head, "…Not really."  
Another voice came from behind, "Not really? Interesting reply, dontcha think?"  
Miles turned his head back towards Veronica, who was walking behind them, "What do you mean?"  
"Well… 'Not really' reveals so much about a person, when you think about it…"  
"…Not really."  
Veronica gave a weak smile, "Funny."  
Lee stepped back and paced alongside her, draping his arm over her shoulder. Miles gave the pair a smile, and turned back towards their destination, his mind ablaze with memories of love long lost.  
They came to the entrance of the control room, where two guards simply nodded, and the doors came open. The trio walked inside, and was greeted with an array of electronic devices and computers, all on and working for what must have been the first time in ages.  
As Miles looked around, he realized many of the scientists didn't work here full time.  
Lee coughed, "If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to say goodbye."  
One of the scientists glared at him, then out the windows, where Alex Reist stood, flanked by heavily armed guards, "I guess it's alright."  
Lee nodded, and began to walk out. Miles looked at him, then Veronica, "You're not going, Veronica?"  
She shook her head softly, "I can't… I just…"  
He nodded and embraced her.  
***  
  
Lee stepped out alone onto the walkway, and the guards gave him a quick look. They stepped a few feet back from Alex, who turned around towards his father. Lee stepped closer. They were only a foot away now. For a minute, they just stared at each other. Finally, Lee spoke up.  
"Why?"  
Alex gave a grin, then responded, "Why? You want to know why?"  
"Alex, why did you have to do this? What happened to you? When did you become…"  
"You should know above all people. You were there, weren't you? Alexian Harket ring a bell?"  
A memory flashed through Lee's mind:  
  
-Harket groaned, and everyone focused on him, as his finger pointed at Veronica, then collapsed back down. The body jerked for a second, then a sheer blast of light filled the room.-  
  
"You mean… that? He passed his powers to you… when you were in the womb?"  
Alex grinned again, "That's right, dad."  
Lee shook his head, "That still doesn't explain anything. Why did you have to do it? Why did you kill Jasmine?"  
"Would it be any comfort if I told you that I didn't mean to kill Jasmine?"  
"What?"  
"Dad, I want you to consider something for a moment. Every other sorcerer and sorceress, they've all tried their take over the world bit, and they've all failed. Why? It's actually simple. One organization exists that always gets in the way…"  
"SeeD."  
"That's right. To complete my mission successfully, I had to dispatch of SeeD."  
"So why Jasmine?"  
"Once again, it wasn't Jasmine. Jasmine wasn't supposed to be in that car. Someone was supposed to keep her in the classroom longer that day."  
"Then who…?"  
"Dad, who would have turned that key if Jasmine was still teaching?"  
It hit Lee like a brick, "Miles."  
"Yes. Disabling the leadership would cripple SeeD."  
"You…"  
"Unexpected result, unfortunately, but I'll still succeed."  
"Oh no, not where you're going."  
Alex smiled, "And where is that, SeeD leader?"  
Lee suddenly frowned, and before he could react, Alex pressed his hand up against his father's chest, and bursts of energy flowed into Lee's body. The guards ran to assist, but with a wave of his other hand, the guards were quickly pinned down. Alex waved his hand again, and grinned.  
  
***  
  
Inside the control room, every alarm went off. Miles cursed and ran for the door, only to find it locked.  
"Open this door!"  
One of the technicians responded, "We can't, all our systems are shorted!"  
"Can't we get out of here?"  
"No! The glass can't be broken, and all the doors are locked! We're trapped!"  
Miles cursed and ran to the windows, where Alex dropped Lee to the catwalk, then looked up at the control room, still grinning. Then, with a puff of smoke, he was gone.  
Every alarm went off, and the doors rushed open. Miles and Veronica ran outside, Miles sliding down to his friend's side. He took one look, and turned away, ushering Veronica away from the scene.  
Lee Reist was dead, and his son, his murderer, was gone.  



	8. Moving Along

Chapter Eight: Moving Along  
  
Neos sat down at the desk, shuffling papers about in a seemingly random motion. In fact, it WAS random. He sighed, dropped the papers to the desk, and stood up, turning around and looking out the window.  
There was a knock at the door. He looked over his shoulder, then back out the window.  
"Enter."  
Peter Animus stepped in, dressed casually, shorts and undershirt, with a smile that still managed to convey sadness.  
"Hey, Neos. What's up?"  
Neos turned, "Hey, Pete. I was just… uh… working."  
"Really, working? My father had a lot of faith in you, leaving you in charge."  
Neos sighed. It had been two weeks since Lee's death. Miles had decided to take a vacation of sorts a few days ago, and he left Neos in charge, with Peter as the second-in-command. Pete had been slightly upset over the decision, but had adjusted very quickly.  
Pete plopped a small folder on Neos' desk, "Your schedule, mano."  
Neos picked up the folder and flipped through the papers inside, "Great…."  
"Yes, it's kind of simple, for today."  
Neos sighed, "A talk with the underclassmen?"  
"Yeah… well…"  
"Whatever." Neos placed the folder back on the desk and looked out the window again. "You know… I like this scenery."  
"Balamb?"  
"Yeah, I kinda like being parked here. Never did like moving all that time, disconcerting… no predictability. Predictability can be a good thing…"  
"Whatever."  
Neos grinned, "You sound like my father."  
"Oh, Hyne! Not that!"  
Neos laughed, "Alright, let's get this schedule going."  
Peter sighed, "Well, you've got three hours until that happens, and nothing in-between… so…"  
"So, go, have some fun."  
Pete smiled, "Right, and you?"  
Neos nodded slowly, "I dunno."  
  
***  
  
Peter walked slowly around the library, shuffling through books he hadn't read yet, silently wishing that they would get something new in the library. He sighed, took a turn around the corner of the bookshelf and smashed right into Julia Leonheart. They both stepped back a second, and Julia gave a weak smile, before trying to walk on. Peter stepped in her way.  
"Julia, how ya doing?"  
"Peter."  
She tried to sidestep him, "Julia, where you been? You've been avoiding us or something since the TV Station."  
"Well…"  
"Julia. It… happens."  
"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about."  
"Julia… I know it's tough on you. You had to do what you did, and there's no shame in it."  
"Peter… I…"  
"You know you can talk to me, right? Your brother is there, too. We're all here for you."  
"I just…"  
"C'mon." Pete ushered her to a small, abandoned corner of the library, and sat her down. He pulled up a chair across from her, and they stared at each other for a moment.  
"Peter. Every time I close my eyes, I see it in my mind. My bullet ripping through that man's body. It haunts me."  
He reached across the table and held her hands, "We all remember the first kill. It haunts all of us. Unfortunately, killing gets easier each time you do it."  
"You mean…?"  
"That's right, you ain't the only one terrified by it. I remember my first, bet you that your brother does. We all do."  
She gave him another weak smile, "Peter…"  
"How about you go get some sleep? You look like you could use it."  
Then his radio went off.  
  
***  
  
Neos sat down in a chair in front of the small class of children, he smiled to them all. The kids were young, under eight. The rows of faces smiled back at him, and he took a look.  
-Cute kids.-  
The rosy cheeks, and the bright eyes all stuck out individually from each other, and from a second, he was tempted to laugh with pleasure at the image, but quickly stuck to the script, and gave them a rousing speech on the future, and how working hard was the key to success.  
Afterwards, the teacher thanked him, and he said his goodbyes, and began to make his exit. He felt a tug on his shirt, and looked down, where a small boy was holding on. Neos gave a slight grin and crouched down.  
"Hey, what's up, kiddo?"  
The child rubbed his hands and looked around, and then at Neos, "Is your daddy ever going to come?"  
Neos almost frowned, but kept his smile, "Well… I don't know. He comes around every once in a while. I'm sure you'll see him. I promise you'll see him."  
The kid was satisfied, and ran off. Neos stood up, and turned to the exit, where Peter was standing, with an exceptionally grim look on his face.  
  
***  
  
"Whaddya mean, situation?"  
Peter shook his head as they briskly paced down the hall, "I don't know, dad was real panicky on the phone. He blabbed something about a threat, about Alex, about a whole buncha stuff, and then said Balamb and hung up."  
"Okay, get everything ready to deploy to Balamb, get to it, now."  
Peter turned, and Neos grabbed him, "Hang on, buddy. When you're done, get back to my office with contact info with every buddy we've got in Balamb."  
"What are you gonna do?"  
"I'm gonna call your dad. Did he leave a way to contact him?"  
"He was calling from a train, I don't know."  
"Okay. I'll do my damndest, get to it."  



	9. False Dawn

Chapter Nine: False Dawn  
  
Miles stepped off the train, greeted by Irvine and Selphie Kinneas, both looking confused and rather upset. They gave a half-hearted grin as Miles walked over to them. He didn't return the smile.  
Selphie frowned, "What's wrong?"  
"We've got a serious problem." He reached into the knapsack on his back, and handed them a small piece of paper, "Read this."  
Irvine read it, "Is this for real?"  
"Very." Miles checked his watch, "You've only got an hour." With that, he hurried past them, "Don't try to evacuate! There are trip-off alarms around the city! Get Zell!" He ran for the exit of the city, but Irvine yelled after him, "Then how are you gonna get out?"  
Miles smiled and turned, opening his bag, and pulling out a hook and rope, "How else? I'm going over!"  
  
0:58:00 remaining  
  
Peter spoke into his radio, "Okay, N-man. We're set to go." He looked around in the Garden car. An assault team had been put together for the initial investigation into Balamb. He nodded to Lance Derikson, holding his excessively large laser rifle like a baby.  
Neos came back, "Okay, move out!"  
The car began to move.  
  
0:56:41 remaining  
  
The hook hit the top of the wall with a metallic clank, and stuck. The rope tugged down a second, then, it stayed taut. There were a series of bangs on the wall, then, finally, a hand hit the wall, and gripped, followed by another, then, an entire body swung up and flipped around. Miles stood full up on the wall, and looked down for a second, then took the grapple, twisted it around to the other side, and rappelled down the wall. He stood outside of Balamb, now. He could see Garden from here. With a sigh, he began to run for the parked school.  
It was the splash that got his attention. He looked out towards the sea, where he could clearly, very clearly, make out a large, red shape, which he recognized with a deep sense of fear.  
Galbadia Garden.  
He picked up the pace, with a mad dash towards Balamb Garden.  
  
0:53:06 remaining  
  
Peter looked behind him at the people in the car for a split second, checking up on the crew, for no particular reason. He looked back and cursed, hitting the brakes as hard as possible. The car stopped, just short of the man standing in the road. Peter focused on the man, and cursed again.  
"Dad!"  
Peter hopped out of the car, and ran up to his father, "What are you doing?"  
Miles grabbed his son by the shoulders, "Listen Pete, you CANNOT go into that city!"  
"What? Dad, we've got Galbadia Garden heading this way, most likely with Alex on board, some form of threat to Balamb, which you STILL haven't cleared up…"  
"Get in the car. Long story. Very little time."  
  
00:51:00 remaining  
  
Peter cursed and smashed his hand against the steering wheel, "That's gotta be a joke."  
Miles shook his head, "Nope, and we've got about fifty-one minutes remaining until Balamb becomes ground zero for the end of the world as we know it."  
"So… you've got Irvine, Selphie and Zell working at it?"  
"Zell has experience, I think he can handle it. We've gotta focus on ourselves. Alex is heading this way. He wants us all dead."  
Peter nodded, "Then… we have little choice but to lock and load."  
  
00:45:05 remaining  
  
Zell was rustled out of bed by the sound of Selphie screaming outside his door. He groggily got up, threw some clothes on, and opened the door to his bedroom.  
"How did you get in my house?"  
Selphie shook her head, "No time! C'mon!" She grabbed him and dragged him outside.  
  
00:40:00 remaining  
  
"Battlestations! All hands, report to battlestations! I want everyone to be prepared for a full-out assault on Galbadia Garden! We're gonna hit 'em!"  
Miles got off of the loudspeaker, and turned to Neos and Peter.  
"Are you ready?"  
Neos shook his head, "You sure about this?"  
"What choice do we have? We have to take care of Galbadia Garden before they hit us."  
"What about the people in Balamb."  
"There isn't much we can do except hope that Zell can disarm it. If he can't within… the half-hour… we'll try for an air-evacuation, but our air route would be slow at best."  
"Right."  
Peter nodded, "Well, then… shall we?"  
Miles cracked his knuckles and looked outside, where Galbadia Garden loomed closer, "Let's rock."  
  
00:39:00 remaining  
  
Zell took one look and cursed. Irvine and Selphie stared at him in shock.  
"I can't disarm this thing."  
"What!?!"  
"Well… I can try… but it's well built. Look." He pointed to the device, and traced his finger along the circuitry as he explained, "The cord is all connected to the plutonium rods, as expected, now, and we can easily disarm those. However, we'd still have to remove the rods, because even if the rods are disconnected from the main device, if it blows, and they're close enough, this place goes nuclear. It gets worse." He gestured at the rods, "Behind these, they're secured with wiring. Once we remove them, the device will go off, causing the nuke anyway. Now, normally, we'd unscrew the back, and take things from there, but… even the screws are wired. Any attempt to remove them would result in an explosion."  
"So…" Irvine grimaced, "What do we do?"  
Zell shook his head, "I'll have to cut from the back, and hope I get it right."  
"What happens if you miss?"  
"Boom."  
  
00:30:46 remaining  
  
-Adjust, 3 degrees right.-  
Peter pulled the trigger on the rifle, and his target went down. He was perched on the balcony in Balamb Garden, playing the sniper for the invading Balamb troops, as the Gardens remained interlocked.  
-Adjust, five degrees down.-  
The next shot went off, and another man went down.  
He pulled his face from the rifle, and took in the situation. SeeDs poured out from Balamb Garden, streaming right into Galbadia's front doors. Galbadia Garden had been decommissioned, but Alex seemed to have risen it, along with his unrelenting army.  
Peter grinned, -How is it that these guys always have invincible armies waiting? Oh shit!-  
He saw Lance fighting off one soldier, as another snuck up behind him, sword well in hand and ready to swing.  
-Adjust five degrees left, six degrees up.-  
He fired, and the assaulter went down. Lance looked up and grinned, then finished his opponent. The situation was clearing up. Peter breathed in.  
-Now or never.-  
He grabbed the robe hooked to the Garden, put his rifle in the shoulder strap, and rappelled down the side of Balamb Garden, landing in Galbadia.  
  
00:29:00 remaining  
  
Zell held steady against the metallic whir of the blade as the automatic saw cut the casing of the bomb. He slowly moved it around in a rectangle around the estimated target. Sweat dripped from his brow as he cut the corner, if his estimate was a centimeter off…  
But it wasn't. The back came off, and he was exposed the dull green glow of the plutonium rods. He could see the wires clearly now, and it was only a matter of cutting them… but first…  
-Can they be cut?-  
  
00:25:00 remaining  
  
-Hooah!-  
Peter dashed down the hallways of Galbadia Garden, fully accompanied by what seemed to be the full force of Balamb Garden. The hallways were bare, but nonetheless, the teams stopped and cleared every single room. No one was getting passed them, not this time.  
  
00:24:00 remaining  
  
-C'mon, times running out man!-  
The wires could be cut, but it would have to be handled in exactly the right order. There were five wires, red, black, green, blue, and white.  
-Think, think, think!-  
He looked up for a moment, wiping the sweat off of his brow. They were in the Balamb Hotel room, where the bomb had been found. He stepped to the balcony, and looked outside, where Balamb and Galbadia Gardens were interlocked only a few yards away, a fantastic battle ongoing. The flares of blue, white, and green, red and black complementing each other  
-That's it!-  
He rushed back to the bomb.  
-Blue. Snip.-  
Nothing.  
-Great. White. Snip.-  
Nothing.  
-Excellent. Green. Snip.-  
Nothing.  
-Hooah. Black? Red? Damn.-  
  
00:20:00 remaining  
  
The team stood at the entrance to the 'throne room' as it was dubbed. Lance held the rifle steady at the door, as the team slowly swiped the card through, and opened the door.  
Everything brightened up, and Peter was thrown back to the ground. When he managed to push himself up, a good half of the team was dead or wounded, and Lance was just getting up himself.  
"What happened?"  
Lance cursed, "Door was rigged to blow. Damnit! He's not there!"  
"Then where is he?"  
"He's gotta be here somewhere!"  
"No… maybe he's not here."  
"Let's head back outside, this place is secure."  
  
00:15:00 remaining  
  
Zell finally decided on black.  
-Snip.-  
Everyone froze. Nothing. Then Selphie gasped, "Zell! The clock!"  
Zell looked at it. It was going faster, "SHIT! Get Balamb Garden, now!"  
  
00:13:00 remaining  
  
Miles nodded and hung up the radio with Peter, "No good, he ain't there, but they've got control."  
Neos nodded, then the room was filled with blaring, as the phone rang. Miles picked it up.  
"Command."  
Irvine's voice came back, panicky, "Countdown reduced by two! EVACUATE NOW!"  
Miles cursed, "We're gonna drop ropes and fly over, you've gotta get the town ready to go!" He picked up the radio, "Pete, we've gotta split!"  
  
00:10:00 remaining  
  
Peter nodded in response to his father, "Roger that, we've got things under control here."  
They were on the bridge of Galbadia Garden, and allowed Balamb Garden to disconnect and rush towards Balamb town.  
  
00:09:00 remaining  
  
The ropes and winches dropped, to a hellish scene. Balamb had turned into a hell on earth, as people all over rushed to grab a hold of the robes and be lifted to safety. The crews on Balamb Garden tried as hard as possible to get everyone, but they all knew it was hopeless. Not everyone could be evacuated. They screamed down with bullhorns for the children first, above all else, but the crowd wasn't listening. One man was on the winch, when someone from the crowd grabbed onto his leg, in a desperate attempt to ride along. In the end, they both fell, and precious time and space was wasted.  
The crowd shoved, pushed, and trampled over the smaller persons to flee the town. Three could fit on a winch, but many were coming up with no one, or at the most two. Hysteria had taken over.  
Meanwhile, Zell worked faster than every to remove the rods from the bomb. If he could do that, he could limit the damage. It was futile work, but he had to try.  
-Seven minutes, not even, more like four.-  
He snipped the next wire, hoping for the best. It worked, but he still had four more to go.  
The crowd was getting worse. Parents screamed in agony as the desperate persons below accidentally ripped children off of the winches. In another disaster, five tried to fit on one, and the rope snapped, lowering the possible survivors even more.  
People were attempting to climb the walls now, others were forming a daring plan to evade the sensors and get to the sea.  
Irvine fired his gun into the air, in a desperate attempt to calm the crowd. It wouldn't work, it only incited them more. Fistfights broke out, as others took the contested spot on the winches.  
Irvine looked at Selphie, who simply lowered her head and bit her lip. They both knew what was going on.  
-This is it.-  
Zell frantically cut the next wire.  
-Four minutes, more like two.-  
He looked up, when Selphie and Irvine walked into the room and sat down. They looked at him, with a half-smile, and he understood, for once, everything was clear to him.  
He stood up, leaving the bomb, and sat down on one of the beds.  
-Three minutes. One.-  
Selphie grabbed onto Irvine, and they kissed, for the last time.  
"I love you."  
"I love you too."  
  
00:00:05 remaining  
  
Miles looked at the city below, unable to express himself.  
  
00:00:04 remaining  
  
Peter rushed to the window, pressing up against it, and looked out at Balamb, a tear forming in his eye.  
  
00:00:03 remaining  
  
Neos Leonheart buried his hands in his face, unable to comprehend what was happening.  
  
00:00:02 remaining  
  
Selphie closed her eyes and buried her face into Irvine's shoulder, who looked calmly at the bomb.  
  
00:00:01 remaining  
  
At that instant, everyone in Balamb Garden and the assault team in Galbadia Garden all seemed to scream at once. Meanwhile, in Balamb itself, time seemed to freeze, and everyone just stopped.  
  
00:00:00 remaining  
  
Everything flashed white. Miles felt the explosion in the bridge, as Garden almost flipped over, but regained itself, and began to float away from the blast. Peter collapsed to the ground, crying. Neos just looked away.  
Balamb. A city built over the course of generations. A city home to some of the most famous people in the world. A historical city, a city that everyone loved. Balamb was gone, and the estimated one thousand people still in the city were dead.  
Most notable on the list: Zell Dincht, Irvine and Selphie Kinneas.  
However, it would become agonizingly clear in only a few minutes. The battle was not over.  



	10. Endgame

Chapter Ten: Endgame  
  
The sheer magnitude of what had just occurred was slowly becoming apparent to everyone. Still, Balamb Garden was silent, no one spoke a single word. Shock reigned.  
Meanwhile, the small contingent on Galbadia Garden was the same way. None of them spoke to each other.  
Everyone just stared. They stared at the spot where Balamb had once been. As the smoke cleared, all that was left was the ashes of a once small town. A few structures remained, blackened, charred, and crumbling even as everyone looked on.  
For the survivors, for those who had managed to escape… the horror was doubled.  
It was in the midst of this silence that the phone rang, on the bridge of both Galbadia and Balamb Garden. Miles, and his son answered the phone at the same time.  
"Hello?"  
The voice came back, familiar, and each knew exactly who it was, "I trust you enjoyed my little light show?"  
Miles came back, "Listen you sick son of a bitch! You're gonna pay for what you just did! You hear me?"  
"I hear you very well, Miles, but I don't think you can stop me. You of all people, who are about to suffer."  
Peter returned, "What?"  
"To sum it up in terms you can understand; it ain't over till I say it's over."  
"Dad, what's going on?"  
Miles shook his head, "I don't know."  
Then, Peter could hear a distinct scream from his father's end of things. He yelled, "What's happening?"  
Miles dropped the phone on his end, but Peter could still faintly make out the words 'stop', 'please' and 'bomb.'  
  
***  
  
Miles stared at the sight before him. A young man stood, strapped to a large explosive device, right in the bridge. Behind him were Veronica Reist, and Neos Leonheart, both of whom had obviously chased him.  
Miles looked at the man, he recognized this kid. This was the kid who was giving Jasmine the lip weeks ago.  
-Little bastard.-  
Miles struggled for the name, but found it.  
"Mike! What are you doing?"  
The teen replied, in a slow, dull voice, "I'm finishing the job."  
"What are you talking about?"  
The kid got violent, "I'm gonna finish SeeD! SeeD is doomed! I'm gonna be the one to do it!"  
"Hey now…"  
Veronica cut off Miles, "Miles, can I?"  
Miles sighed, she's the best damned talker we've got, "Go ahead."  
She slowly stepped up to Michael, walking around, and facing him, as Miles and Neos slowly backed out.  
"Michael," she spoke in a soft, gentle voice, "Michael, why are you doing this?"  
He glared at her, "I am only a servant of the new world order to be bought about. I will be one of the most glorious heroes of the revolution against the world."  
"Michael, you're going to die if you do this."  
"We all die."  
"No reason to rush it." She kept her voice calm, cool, relaxing, "Listen, no one wants to hurt you here. Just take off that bomb, and give it to me. I'm your friend."  
"You are not my friend."  
"Michael…"  
"NO!"  
She backed away, "Let's not get hotheaded here, I only want to talk to you."  
"Talk is useless. Now is the time for action!"  
And he flipped the switch.  
  
***  
  
For Peter Animus, three hundred yards away, the explosion in Garden was still a deafening event. First, the bridge blew in an array of fire that seemed to burst from the vessel. Then, the ship seemed to lose control entirely, and leaned onto one edge, smashing into the ground. He watched in horror as more bombs seemed to go off, and the lower parts of Garden blew, collapsing and disintegrating. The other edge hit the ground, and Garden leaned forward, as more explosions raked across floor one. Finally, the Garden smashed forward into the ground, and one final explosion erupted from the engines. Then all was silent.  
Garden, and the four thousand lives aboard, were no more.  
Peter collapsed to the floor of the bridge, his faced pressed against the window, and all around him, similar actions were taken. After a few moments, Peter managed to open his eyes, and he saw the courtyard of Galbadia Garden.  
A lone man stood there, and Peter instantly realized whom it was. Filled with a new sense of rage, and an indefinable level of determination, Peter pulled out his pistol, and shot the bridge window. He backed up, and then dashed straight into it, jumping out, and plummeting fifty yards to the courtyard below. He landed with a thud, and struggled to push himself up. As he got to his knees, he was greeted with a foot to the face.  
Peter flew backwards, his pistol flying off in one direction, his ammo belt for the rifle in the other. He was unarmed.  
"So ya wanna play rough, huh, Alex?"  
Peter shoved himself up, and raised his fists. Alex walked over to him, and threw a wild hook for the head. Peter ducked it, and returned with a crushing jab to the chest, followed up by a roundhouse straight into the side of the ribcage.  
Alex coughed and whirled around, then gave a grin, and charged. Peter braced himself, preparing to make his move. Then, Alex stopped short, and a bolt of energy radiated from Alex's body, knocking Peter yards away to the ground.  
Peter slowly managed to push himself up, and then he looked down again. His pistol was there. Loaded. He scooped it up, and not so gently stood. Alex stared at him. Peter smiled, and raised the pistol up, aiming it directly at Alex's head.  



	11. Epilogue

Epilogue  
  
"Peter, wake up!"  
Peter Animus slowly opened his eyes, and rubbed them, yawning. It was daybreak. His mother was calling to him, and he could hear his father rustling around in his office somewhere. Peter shoved himself out of bed, and wandered down the hallway, dressed informally in his pajamas.  
He came to his mother, standing a full four feet taller than him. She smiled, "Good morning sleepyhead! How have you been doing?"  
Peter smiled, "Morning mommy!"  
The six-year old gave his mother a hug. All was well with the world.  
  
-Philip "Tooner" McCabe  



End file.
